Just a fun question

[yenly]

So in theory...how long will VCD/SVCD/DVD last? With VHS, we all know that the quality decreases with time and after 10+ years, the color begins to fade and video becomes jittering.

What about VCD/SVCD/DVD? Are they suppose to last forever??????

[Phunkie Munky]

Thas a good question actually, well, a CD wheither it be a DVD/VCD etc will only last as long as it is not scratched. They can last from a day to who knows when, it depends on how they are looked after. I think the question is how long will the formats last.

I doubt they will dissapear quickly, but as far as we know in 5 years time there could be a totally different format that gets developed that is even better than DVD, doubt it but who knows. Then everyone will be using that and VCD/DVD's ect will be gone.

But with the 1st question, it all depends on how well there looked after, no one can give an exact time they will 'expire' because there digital, whereas VHS is analogue so start to 'wear-down' after a specific time depending really on how often there used.

[flaninacupboard]

The shelf life of a pressed CD is supposed to be 1000 years plus. in every day useage, a music CD probably lasts about 15 years before you forget to put it away, or gut it stuck in a tray enough times to render it unplayable. By that point it's not cool anymore, so it probably in a bin anyway.

Data discs should be slightly more robust, but then they get hot in computers get used as coasters, and often put in cheap CD wallets instead of proper cases.
I reckon 8 years normal usage, but more like 20 if you're quite careful.

Burned discs are a different matter.

Various companies sell discs rated for X number of years. in practice, you've only to leave a CD-r in the sunlight for a day and it's fucked.

Unless you're careful burned discs do not last long.

As for DVD, well, a single layer disc should be as good as a pressed CD. Dual layer is a different matter. first up there's laser rot, bad bonding, and the fact if you spin a dual layer disc over a certain RPM the semi-transmissive layer breaks down. i think everyday usage of a SL-DVD should be about 20 years, how often do you really watch a film? DL-DVD i'm going to put as about 12 years.

Note 1: i don;t work in the video field, these are purely my personal opinion

Note 2: i am basing these figures on there being -an- error on the disc, i.e. at least one section that is unplayable, not neccesarily the entire disc though.

[tgm4883]

I know someone who had a cd with the song back that ass up on it. He loved that song and played it all the time. The cd was fine but after a couple months that song would no longer play correctly.

[FOO]

The experts claim 100 yrs for a recordable DVD.
If you keep it cool, dry, and away from light

[Redd]

DVD I'm not sure, but for VCD and SCVD that are burned to CD-R. If useing a burner that does correct EFM Encoding, a scratch should not matter a great deal. In short EFM Encoding insures that a disk will be able to play correctly with a scratch...as long as it's not used as a Frisbe or first base on you neighborhood baseball team. A list of burners that can do correct EFM Encoding can be found here. Burners that will do correct EMF Enocding are very popular among game crackers.

http://www.elby.ch/en/products/clone_cd/writers/a.html

Or for more of a tech explanition...

http://www.ee.washington.edu/conselec/CE/kuhn/cdmulti/95x7/efmmod.htm

[yenly]

hmm...so basically if I do a good job at taking care of my VCD/SVCD than they will last for a very long time.

The reason I ask is because I'm wondering if it's worth the time and effort to convert my VHS into SVCDs. Especially when hours and hours of work are required.

Interesting...I didn't know sunlight can damage the CDs.

How about playing it very, very often on a DVD player? Does it damage the CD or it doesn't matter?

[K2]

The library of Congress (US) is consolidating their audio audio collection and determined Not to use CD or DVD technology as will not last >100years, commercial recordable media <20 years (no sunlight).

[funkguy4]

Thas a good question actually, well, a CD wheither it be a DVD/VCD etc will only last as long as it is not scratched. They can last from a day to who knows when, it depends on how they are looked after. I think the question is how long will the formats last.

I doubt they will dissapear quickly, but as far as we know in 5 years time there could be a totally different format that gets developed that is even better than DVD, doubt it but who knows. Then everyone will be using that and VCD/DVD's ect will be gone.

But with the 1st question, it all depends on how well there looked after, no one can give an exact time they will 'expire' because there digital, whereas VHS is analogue so start to 'wear-down' after a specific time depending really on how often there used.

A lot of people know if there will be a new format within 5 years. It's aclled blue-laser. There are several companies working on it in Japan right now. Blue-laser DVD will be able to hold 27GB per side.

[flaninacupboard]

yeah, that's pretty well known. but it's not easy to gauge the real world reliability until it's out in the mass market.
Any Optical recordable format is still going to fall prey to sunlight, there's not a lot can be done about that one.

[funkguy4]

yeah, that's pretty well known. but it's not easy to gauge the real world reliability until it's out in the mass market.
Any Optical recordable format is still going to fall prey to sunlight, there's not a lot can be done about that one.

Sure there is, it just involves making it totally unuseable afterwards. All you gotta do is stick a mirror on the bottom surface of the disc!

[flaninacupboard]

heh, yeah.

You could always make a disc you burn using energy outside the sus EM spectrum. anyone know off hand the upper and lower limits of the suns sprectrum?
I wonder if we'll see something other than optical storage in our lifetimes? it must have been a huge leap in concept for people at the time of optical disc relase, reading the discs seemingly by magic. what would it be like if new discs came out that got read by...... telepahy or something?
Direct brainwave transfer would kick ass. certainly be good for those of us afflicted with poor eyesight

[funkguy4]

You mean something like a semiconductor diamond wafer with grooves so small that it could fit a buncha gigabytes on one side yet fit in your pocket?

[Phunkie Munky]

@ funkguy4

A lot of people know if there will be a new format within 5 years. It's aclled blue-laser. There are several companies working on it in Japan right now. Blue-laser DVD will be able to hold 27GB per side.

Yeah, the point I was putting forward is that of course new formats are comin out within the next 5 years. But the thing is the end-user being most of the people in this forum wont be able to burn it when it 1st comes out. Who knows you may be able to burn the new format on a DVD burner if they make it compatiable, but most likely you will need a totally new burner and player, this to become widely used will take time. I aint no Japanese person who is working on the new format so I dont know the in's and out's. But I was just saying that formats come and go, for cd's to take over vynls it took years for example.

So unless yenly 'original poster' wants to put the encoding/burning of his vcd's on hold which I doubt, he needs to burn in that format, like me said I was just saying it doesnt always matter on how long you can preserve a disk, what really matters is how advance technology gets and at what speed.

[Redd]

Blue lasers will have to be backward compatible as far as reading/playing. There's just too much money involved in the industry. The change that will be happening sooner than blue lasers for stand alone players will be High Definition compatibility. That will be the next major change to go out and spend your money. They will be out in the next couple of years.

[funkguy4]

Blue lasers will have to be backward compatible as far as reading/playing. There's just too much money involved in the industry. The change that will be happening sooner than blue lasers for stand alone players will be High Definition compatibility. That will be the next major change to go out and spend your money. They will be out in the next couple of years.

You mean standalone DVD players to be HD? They already are I thought? What about the Pro-scan? AHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Greenspock]

They're good until the day after the warranty expires!

[funkguy4]

They're good until the day after the warranty expires!

That actually happened with my old CD-RW drive, but it wasn't a LITEON. This new one has been expired for who knos how long, but works like brand new!